Central-station desk for carrier-dispatch systems



J. A. BAUER GE TRAL STATION nEs oR CARRIER DISPATCH SYSTEMS Filed June' 20,- 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 John/0Q. Ban/e7" Aug. 24 1926.

J. BAUER CENTRAL STAT-ION DESK FOR CARRIERDISPATCH SYSTEMS Filed June 20, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 dizzy 5.

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UNITED .5 T

a r-ans Na seine.

.. JOHN .A-. BAUER, F SYRACUSE, .NEWY K, .ASSIGNQR- T9, Maison-columnar,- .or

sYRAoUsE, nEw YORK, A GOREORATIQN ,on nnssecnnsnrrs.

(:EnrR-nnsTAT on DESK roe cARRInR-nIsP rqn sYsTn s.

Application filed June ;l924. Serial No-. 721;208.

This invention pertains to pneumatic disto .central station apparatus for such sysitems.

;In.certain types of central stationappa- .iratus all carriers, after the necessary transactions of making change, authorizing charge slips, etc.,..-are returned to the send- ;ing stationifrom a icommonndispatch desk. In thera thecarriersare returned directly :to the sending stations by-the cashiersor change authorizers. its business fluctuates or acombinationlof. change making or charge author zing .withidisp atching, should be mvcreased Or iCllIl'lll'llShGCllIl a corresponding .Iratio butoWingl to the. physical limitations I imposed by thensualtypes of apparatus-it is frequently inecessarylto retaina greater number of operators vatthe dispatch desk This is than is theoretically necessary. occasioned 'in particular by .the inability of .a singleloperator conveniently to reach more than agiven. number of dispatch terminals vas they are usually arranged.

.The .presentflinvention:has for its object the provision ,ofdispatching devices for the central station of a pneumatic tube system .enab'lingfone .Or more operators to work with substantially :equal facility in dispatching carriers through a given set ofterminalsand requiring only the simplesttype of adjustment in shifting to and from the one operator arrangement, while providing an apparatus capable of embodiment in existing installations without substantial redesign of the latter.

A preferred embodiment of theinvention together with a modification thereof is illustrated in the accompanying drawings by the of example.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a more or less diagrammatic front elevation of a central station desk, of the type whereinthe cashiers and charge authorizersdispatch the carriers directly back to .the sending stations. embodying the present invention, and viewed fromthe authorizers side of the desk;

Fig. Qis a fragmentary vertical section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section to larger scale h the upper part of one of tiie 1s;

sheeting its i 'tion 1 to the -main section of the, dispatch patch systems and more particularly relates 1- scale;

\ Fig.6 1s a fragmentary-front elevation of the partsshownin Figa4; and

Fig. '6' is a fragmentary tliagrammatie front clevatlon of amodified arrangement for adjusting the dispatching terminals.

Referring to the drawings the numeral 1 'indicates'the-central station desk of a'pneufrom timeto time vthe-number of operators Vatthe central station, whether their-fund tion be purely; that of dispatching-carriers matic dispatch system. As illustrated,- cash site side charge delivery terminals and charge authorizeris stations at opposite sides-this desk may bra-considered as exemplifying any desk from which a large number of dispatch tubes lead.

Atone; side of the deska plurality of-authorizers stations indicated at 4,4 'an'd 4 are arranged. The station 4 may. for con veniencebeter'aned the main operators station while the station 4 and 4 gmay be termed auxiliary stations. At theropposite" or cashiers side of the desk similarly disposed operators stationst are arranged.

'The dis'patch'terminals are disposed in a cordance with the present invention, are disthe main station 4 and fixedly secured inthis position. The groupsi and 8 of dispatch terminals which are spaced laterally from the terminals of the group '6 are normally disposed in front of the auxiliary stations 4 and 4 respectively. The terminals of the groups 7 and 8 normally depend vertically in parallelism with the terminals of the group 6 but may be moved laterally relatively to the latter terminals as will herein after he described. In Figs. 2 to 5 inclusive, the supporting and adjusting means for the terminals of the groups 7 and 8 is illustrated in detail. Each ofthe terminals of the group 7 and 8 extfids upwardly la a substantially vertical 'tieii free-i as leaves n5. arises '85 -;vertical plane extending longitudinally 'and centrally of the desk so that theyzare within reach of operators seated at either side of the desk. These dispatch terminals, in acthe upper part of the desk structure and is then curved laterally at 9 to bring lts ends into a substantially horizontal position as indicated for example at T 'in Fig. 8. Th s horizontal end portion of the terminal 1s aligned with the horizontally arranged end 10 of the corresponding main tube section leading to one of the sending stations.

' The aligned tube sections 7 and 10 are connected by a sleeve 11 forming a swivel joint which permits the tube terminal to swing about the axis of the tube section 10.

The end 7 of the tube terminal may if desired have an additional supportcomprising a hanger 12.

The depending vertical portions of the tube terminals are preferably guided in their swinging movement by means of rails 13 and 14 forming parts of the desk superstri'icture.

The terminals of each of the groups 7 and 8 respectively are connected to each other for simultaneous swinging movement. For this purpose a bar 15 is connected to all of the tubes similar bar 16 is connected to all of the tubes of the group 8.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 5 the bar 16 is shown as connected to the tubes of the group 8 by means of bolts '17 whose heads are flush with the inside walls of the respective tubes and whose shan is fit loosely in spaced openings in the bar 16. These bolts are provided with nuts 18 for retaining the bar 16 in position.

The bar 16 extends laterally through a guide opening 19 in one of the end members 20 of the desk frame and is provided with a series of spaced openings 21. By longitudinal movement of the bar any of the openings 21 may be brought into alignment with an opening 22 formed in a block 23 secured to the member20. When one of the 1, openings 21 is thus aligned with the opening 22 a removable pin 24 may be passed through the openings to lock the bar 16 in adjusted position. The openings 19 and 22 are vertically elongate to permit vertical movement of the bar 16 as the latter swings withthe tubes 8. i j

The bar 15 is likewise pivotally connected to the tubes of group 7 and is likewise provided with spacedopenings and a removable pin for retaining it in adjusted position.

lVhen the station is workingat full capacity an operator is seated at each of the operators stations 4, 1- and 4 and'the groups of terminals areall disposed in vertical position. If now, for example, the amount of work should decrease so that two operators at each side for it, the group 8 of terminals may be swung to the .dotted, line position of Fig. 1 and locked in this position by means of the pin 24. The operator seated at station 4 may now care for all. of theoutlying staof the group? while a of the. desk can care tions represented by terminals of both groups 6 and 8 of dispatch terminals. Similarly if the work still further decreases the group of terminal 1 may likewisebe swung into range of the, operator at station 1 so that one operator at this statlon may care for all of the charge transactions. It is to be understood of course that the number of cashiers may likewise be diminished at the same time, the dispatch terminals of the several groups being common to both sides of the desk. i

In Fi 6 a slight modification of the device is hown wherein the end portions of the dispatch tubes are vertically. arranged and swiveled to the tube ends 1O by means of sleeves 17? to turn about vertical axes. The lower ends26 of the terminals are laterally deflected so that by turning the tube terminals carriers may be delivered in different directions. For turning all of the terminals of a group simultaneously each terminal is provided with a pinion 27 which meshes with a rack bar 28 mounted to slide in-suitable guides 29 and 30. I

lVhile as indicated in Fig. 1 the terminals of the groups 7 and 8 will be swung toward the terminals of group 6 as the volume of workdecreases, it is contemplated that they may also be swung outwardly if the volume of business should increase ab normally, so as to permit two or more operators to be seated in front of each group. It is also contemplated as within the scope of the invention that the terminals of the group 6 may likewise be swiveled to swing either as a single unit or as separate groups so that any desired combinations of groups of tubes may be arranged to accommodate the desired numberof operators.

lVhile the movable tube terminals are here shown as dispatch terminals and as depending from a point above the top of the desk it is also contemplated that receiving terminals may be likewise arranged or that any type of terminal may be movably supported in some'other manner and from points be-' low or at the level of the desk, the specific mode of supporting the terminals for move ment being but a minor feature of the present invention.

I claim 1. A pneumatic dispatch system having a 7 central station comprising a desk, a plurality of relatively movable tube terminals, and means for positioning said terminals in differently grouped aggregations.

pneumatic dispatch system comprising a plurality of groups of movable tube terminals, means connecting the terminals ofeach group to move as a unit, and means for retaining each group of terminals in selected position of adjustment. 7 3. A pneumatic dispatch system comprising a plurality of groups of pivotally sup;

ported dispatch terminals, means connecting the terminals of each group to constrain them to swing concomitantly, and means for locking each group of terminals in selected position of angular adjustment.

4. A pneumatic dispatch system comprising a pivotally supported tube terminal, a bar pivotally secured to the terminal, a guide for the bar, and means engageable with the bar for holding the terminal in selected position of angular adjustment.

5. A. pneumatic dispatch system comprising a movable dispatch terminal, a bar connected therewith, the bar havinglongitudinally spaced openings therein, a fixed guide for the bar, and releasable means optionally engageable with any of said openings in the bar for locking the terminal in selected position of adjustment.

6. A pneumatic dispatch system comprising a movable dispatch terminal, a bar pivotally connected to the terminal, said bar having longitudinally spaced openings therein, a fixed guide for the bar having an opening with which any of the openings in the bar may be registered, and a removable pin engageable with such registered openings to hold the bar and terminal in selected position of adjustment.

7. A pneumatic dispatch system having a central station comprising a fixed tube terminal and a movable terminal adjustable toward and from the fixed terminal.

8. A pneumatic dispatch system having a central station comprising a fixed tube terminal, a movable tube terminal disposed at eitherside of the fixed terminal, and means for adjustably positioning either one or both of the movable terminals at selected distances from the fixed terminal.

9. A. pneumatic dispatch system having a central station comprising a plurality of operators stations, a plurality of movable tube terminals, and means for moving said terminals simultaneously into operative relation to any of said stations.

10. A pneumatic dispatch system having a central station comprising a plurality of operators stations, a series of tube terminals each pivoted to swing, and means connecting the terminals of the series to move simultaneously into operative relation to any of said stations.

11. A pneumatic dispatch system havinga central station comprising a desk with operators stations spaced therealong, a series of pivotally supported dispatch terminals depending from a point above the desk, and

means for swinging said depending terminals simultaneously to bring them into operative relation to any of said stations.

12 A pneumatic dispatch system comprising a central station desk having a main operators station and an auxiliary operators station at one side thereof, a series of fixed tube terminals disposed within reach of the main station, a series'of pivotally supported tube terminals normally disposed within reach of the auxiliary station, and means for moving said pivotally supported terminals simultaneously to position them within reach of the main operators station.

13. A pneumatic dispatch system having a central station comprising a desk, operators stations spaced along the desk, a series of fixed dispatch terminals arranged in operative relation to one of said stations, a

series of movable tube terminals, normally arranged in operative relation to the operators stations upon either side of the first named station, and means for moving either or both of said last named series of terminals into operative relation to the first named operators station.

14. A pneumatic dispatch system comprising a central station desk having an operators station, a series of fixed dispatch terminals disposed in front of said operators station and within reach thereof, a lateral series of dispatch tube terminals arranged upon either side of the first series, each terminal of each of the laterally disposed series being pivotally supported to depend from a point above the desk, and means for swinging the terminals of either or both of said laterally disposed series into operative relation to said operators station.

15. A pneumatic dispatch system comprising a central station desk, a plurality of substantiallv parallel and horizontal pneumatic tube sections each terminating at a point 111 a plane above the desk, a terminal tube section swivelled to the end of each.

horizontal section, each terminal section being bent to provide a portion depending vertically over the desk, the depending portions of the several terminal sections being substantially parallel, and means for simultaneously swin -in said de endin or-' u t: L b

tions and for retaining them in desired position of angular adjustment.

Signed by me at Syracuse, N. twenty-second day of May, 1924.

r JOHN A. BAUER.

Y., this 

